On Watching Amreeka
Last week I concluded my independent film unit. It’s always one of my favorite units to teach, partly because I am a filmmaker and partly because when I go to the movies, I tend to see independent films. One of the challenges of teaching the unit is choosing which three films to show. One limit [...]
Film, Illusion & Spectatorship, Part 5: “I want a thrill a minute…or better yet every 2.5 seconds.”
In Part 1, we discussed how the slickness of Hollywood movies turns audiences off to movies with ambiguous endings. In Part 2, we explored how audiences don’t like it when movies remind them that they are fake. In Part 3, we examined how audiences react when either the acting style or the character depictions fall [...]
Film, Illusion & Spectatorship, Part 4: Just give me something I already know and already love.
In Part 1, we discussed how the slickness of Hollywood movies turns audiences off to movies with ambiguous endings. In Part 2, we explored how audiences don’t like it when movies remind them that they are fake. In Part 3, we examined how audiences react when either the acting style or the character depictions fall [...]
Film, Illusion & Spectatorship, Part 1: Tie It Up With a Bow, Please.
Because I teach film in a high school setting, I have access to audiences – young, raw audiences. Every time we watch a film together, I get to monitor the reactions of about 150 people whose tastes have been primarily shaped by slick Hollywood standards. When they watch a movie, they want a blockbuster: they [...]